‰ NOW 35 WPM ‰ TEXT IS FROM OCTOBER 2012 QST PAGE 51‰
PRESSING THE MONITOR KEY BUTTON WILL DISABLE THE SQUELCH. PRESSING
FUNCTION AND THEN MONITOR KEY WILL TURN ON THE GREEN BACKLIGHTING FOR THE
LCD AND KEYPAD BUTTONS. I CALL THE BACKLIGHTING AURORA GREEN BECAUSE THE
DISPLAY MATCHED THE COLOR OF THE NORTHERN LIGHTS VIEWED AT MY COVENTRY,
CONNECTICUT, HOME AFTER AN X CLASS SOLAR FLARE. WHILE THE BACKLIGHTING IS
HARDLY VISIBLE UNDER NORMAL LIGHTING CONDITIONS, IT IS ADEQUATE IN THE DARK
AND WILL NOT RUIN NIGHT VISION WHILE STAR GAZING. THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS
HANDHELD FEATURES THE DC INPUT JACK, WHICH ACCEPTS A VARIETY OF OPTIONAL
CHARGERS OR AN EXTERNAL DC POWER SOURCE OF 7 TO 16 V DC. THE DJ V57T CAN
BE USED WITH SEVERAL OPTIONAL RECHARGEABLE LITHIUM ION LI ION OR NICKEL
METAL HYDRIDE NIMH BATTERY PACKS OR WITH A BATTERY CASE THAT HOLDS SIX AA
ALKALINE CELLS. THE TRANSCEIVER MUST BE PROGRAMMED FOR THE TYPE OF BATTERY
USED. THIS IS DONE BY HOLDING DOWN THE 0 KEY FOR 2 SECONDS AND THEN
SELECTING THE BATTERY TYPE WITH THE DIAL KNOB ON TOP. LAB TESTING OVERALL,
THE TEST RESULTS WERE GOOD, WITH ONE EXCEPTION IMAGE REJECTION IS ONLY FAIR
ON THE 70 CM BAND. ALINCO HAS ADDED A TWO POSITION ATTENUATOR THAT CAN BE
SWITCHED IN LINE TO REDUCE UNWANTED IMAGES. IN THE LAB I FOUND THAT
ATTENUATOR POSITIONS ONE AND TWO ADDED 3 AND 12 DB OF ATTENUATION
RESPECTIVELY ON 2 METERS, AND 4 AND 15 DB ON 70 CM. THE ATTENUATOR FEATURE
‰ END OF 35 WPM TEXT ‰ QST DE W1AW ƒ